NBC 5 Senior Focused on Helping Others Earns $900k in Scholarships

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Brains and heart combined in Monday's Tell Me Something Good.

Daniela Pahari, a senior at International Leadership of Texas Keller-Saginaw High School, has earned more than $900,000 in college scholarships while also co-founding and operating a non-profit to help women in Africa.

Jim Croswell, communications coordinator atIL Texas District Office, said Pahari was recently accepted to several prestigious universities, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Columbia University, University of California in Los Angeles and Brown University. Pahari also received notification that she is a finalist for the Johnson Scholarship at Washington and Lee University.

The Johnson Scholarship is a highly competitive, full scholarship with a $7,000 summer stipend to explore leadership potential around the world.

Beyond the brains is a heart ready to reach across the world to help women in need. Pahari co-founded the student-led Nurturing Universal Feminism Outreach Program. Pahari and her three co-founders collect and send feminine products to women around the world who don't have access to them. More than 8,000 products have been shipped to Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia to date with another 1,500 products shipping this spring.

Croswell said NUF is accepting donations through April for anyone who wishes to donate items to impoverished women around the world, including things like soap, dental hygiene products and feminine hygiene products. All donations can be dropped off during school hours at International Leadership of Texas - Keller-Saginaw, located off U.S. 81 Service Road next to Bonds Ranch Road.

On top of her academic success and outreach efforts, Pahari is also a double black belt in Tae Kwan Do and teaches classes to students with special needs. And, she's certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, just in case she encounters someone in an emergency.